Not too many yellowbelly close to Roma especially these days with low water levels in the nearby creeks etc...the most gross thing I caught recently was two huge water rats that swam into my opera house net that I'd set in the creek for yabbies.
I did catch three nice yellowbelly though (in 2012) in Bungewogari Creek, 10km west of Roma and another five (also in 2012) in Blyth Creek kind of South-east of Roma 25km towards Surat.
I went to St George for work in March 2013 after some recent floods in Dalby. By the time the water got to Beardmore Dam the dam was at 101% capacity. They started letting water out of the dam and the river level at St George rose and the weir under the bridge was churning it out big time.
I went for a look on the other side of the bridge and the water had risen enough to suburge a low gully section that you can usually drive on. I went there to cast a few lures (during my lunch break of course) as the water was calmer there and just eddying around.
I caught zilch on lures but a few local fellas turned up with cooked prawns as bait and they started hauling in the yellowbelly, big fish - one after the other.
A week later I drove the 200kms back to St George on a day off, to fish in that exact spot again but when I got there, the water had receded and the area was dry again - doooh. I tried a couple of other spots along the rver below there weir with my cooked prawns and caught 2 turtles - doooh again!
Luckily I had also brought about 40 or so live shrimp to St George that I'd caught in a trap in creek near Roma. After thinking of driving back to Surat I decided to give Beardmore Dam a go, having never been there before.
I found the dam but the dam itself seemed very inaccessible. Not far down from the spillway I saw a few people fishing but they weren't catching anything so I followed a dirt track a bit further down the river.
I parked and carried three rods down to the river; but by the time I put on the first live shrimps & cast out I didn't even have time to pick up the second rod before I was getting bites.
This happened consistently for the next hour until I ran out of live shrimp. I was putting at least 2 shrimp on each time I baiited up so they didn't last too long.
All up I caught 14 yellowbelly, from the shore in about one hour. I let five go as they were borderline size limit and I kept nine decent size fish. One was quite large at close to 3 or 4kg but when I cooked it whole later, on the Weber it was very fatty inside.
The rest of them I filletted, skinned and de-boned and they tasted great. So the 200km each way trip to St George ended up being worth it...
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
Sounds like a good trip!
I dont bother eating yella's whole anymore, since they brought in the size limit, (showing my age) any fish over 30cm is generally fatty and needs to be filleted so you can remove the fat.
In the old days we would toss smaller ones in some alfoil and straight on the camp fire, tasted great!
Yep, tend to agree with that.
Just about everyone I've spoken to out this way abut eating yellowbelly say they always fillet them.
Got a phone call last night from some people I know who are currently staying at Glenlyon Dam near Texas. They reckons there's plenty of yellowbelly being caught there at present and they had some fillets for dinner last night. Too bad its such a hike to get there from Roma...
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
Good to see you caught a few PNG1M, around Surat they have been biting well laterly.
Cheers Rossco
The cod are going about 120k south of Roma around the Wycombe area there is a camping area near a bridge
Has the water cleared up enough for lures there Schulzy? the cod have been on the move right through the river, I'm just waiting for it to clear again.I have private property down there, I got dusted up by a couple of unstoppable cod before the river run. Where your talking about is called Warroo bridge and there is a good camping spot there, can also get a good sized boat in, fishing has been good in that area for cod and yella's since the Febuary 20012 floods.
Cheers Rossco
Yeah chase pigs there not sure about lures the bloke I know just bait fishes or tows spinner baits
Thanks Schulzy, would be plenty of pigs about at the moment.
Got 9 cod over 65cm and a few yellow belly the other weekend
On lure Schulzy? I haven't been able to get there lately. Have heard of a few reports, bit hit and miss I'm hearing.
Some on lures some on bait
I will probs get there next weekend for look.
Rossco
Around the dark moon should be good
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